


Linked Universe One-shots

by Halfway_Thru_Insanity



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Headcanons about stuff, One-Shots, WIld is my baby so lots of him, ah yes the sweet sweet smell of trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24743821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halfway_Thru_Insanity/pseuds/Halfway_Thru_Insanity
Summary: A collection of one-shots in no particular order from finding Wild and the Master Sword to Twilight having anxiety over Hero's Shade/ Time :)“Hey there, pup,” the young hero said to the wolf in a calm voice.Twilight huffed, indignant. Only the old man was allowed to call him that. Anyone else would get their hands bitten off if they even joked about it—not that they knew why Time called him that in the first place. Twilight actually considered retaliating now when the young man extended his hand toward Twilight tentatively, but thought better of it.Time told him to do some recon on this new hero, so scaring him away probably wasn’t the best idea.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 232





	1. Hero of the Wild Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> The newer updates to LU got me thinking about the Master Sword.....  
> Also I'm helpless Zelink trash. It took me well over a decade to be okay with MidLink as a ship, but when it comes to my botw babies, that's where I draw the line. There will be mentions of Zelink and MidLink and such, so just a fair warning I guess!

“Hey there, pup,” the young hero said to the wolf in a calm voice.

Twilight huffed, indignant. Only the old man was allowed to call him that. Anyone else would get their hands bitten off if they even joked about it—not that they knew why Time called him that in the first place. Twilight actually considered retaliating now when the young man extended his hand toward Twilight tentatively, but thought better of it.

Time told him to do some recon on this new hero, so scaring him away probably wasn’t the best idea.

“I’m Link,” the boy said, still cautious. _Surprise, surprise,_ thought Twilight. All of the Goddess’ chosen heroes shared the same name, but Twilight played along. Link crouched and inched closer with a closed hand outstretched. A raw yet enticing smell emanated from Link’s fist, so Twilight slightly tilted his head with interest.

Link dared to come close enough to Twilight’s potentially lethal muzzle so that he could properly give him an offering. The hand turned and opened slowly, revealing a small hunk of raw steak. Twilight considered the offer.

Being a wolf, he could tolerate putting most things in his mouth that he wouldn’t as a human. Unfortunately, that included occasionally mauling monsters to death which left a bitter taste in his mouth for a while despite trying to rinse out the blood. He would also enjoy hunting and eating raw meals, but preferred cooked food any day.

Today, he wanted to test the boy by refusing the otherwise delicious morsel. He seemed to have a way with wild things, but to what extent?

Twilight sniffed the meat, looked at the boy, then sat patiently.

“Huh.” Link retracted his hand looking perplexed. “You’re a strange one.”

Twilight gave a soft growl in response. Link flinched.

“Ah, I mean…It’s not a bad thing!” Link laughed nervously. He showed quite the capacity for empathy, understanding and respecting the feelings of another creature. Twilight couldn’t help but feel drawn to this Link.

Twilight noticed that Link retreated a few inches, probably thinking he may have offended him. Link seemed to have a good heart, so Twilight wanted to reassure him.

He stood and slowly walked toward Link, causing the younger to jump in surprise, but otherwise he sat still in the tall grass to wait for Twilight to do whatever. _Smart boy,_ Twilight thought. He came close enough to snuffle Link’s bangs and take in his scent. He smelled like a campfire and grass and pine which warmed Twilight’s heart. A kindred spirit, one with nature. Link waited patiently, stifling a laugh as the wet nose brushed his face. Another decisive _snuff_ from Twilight was all he needed to approve of the boy, so he licked his dirt smudged face lightly before sitting back down.

Link’s smile only grew wider across his face and he reached the piece of meat out again. Twilight sighed in resignation and rolled his eyes before gently accepting the meat, swallowing it whole. He had to admit that it was good, Link must have hunted for quite a while to get a cut of this quality. In thanks, Twilight licked his jaws with content and lazily wagged his tail.

Link laughed softly. “You’re welcome.” He hesitated a second, his hand hovering next to Twilight’s neck. Any other person would reach for his head, it was a natural desire. But Link knew better. He knew what would potentially come off as a threatening gesture, so he kept his hand in Twilight’s view at all times. It left him vulnerable for a nasty bite to the forearm, but it was a risk he seemed willing to take.

Twilight didn’t move, simply watching the boy with interest. Soon Link was sure that he wouldn’t get an armful of razor sharp teeth, so he gently placed his hand on Twilight’s fur. The wolf leaned into the rare touch and wondered when the last time he let someone pet him was. He basked in the dappled sunlight under the apple tree they sat at and soaked in the peace of the breeze and the soothing feeling of Link’s hand on his coat.

Twilight hardly let anyone be so affectionate with him, after putting sturdy walls up around his heart—which shattered with that damn mirror. Midna had always been the exception, but now this boy offered a different kind of comfort. It was a sort of camaraderie and solidarity in bearing the burdens of an entire kingdom—whether Link knew they shared that hardship or not.

“You were imprisoned?” Link’s words startled him, not because it broke the serene silence, but because he heard those words before…in that same tone. Twilight stiffened at the haunting memories of broken kingdoms and cursed princesses. He was suddenly thankful that wolves couldn’t—and weren’t expected to—speak. There was no way he would want to explain his discomfort to the boy.

Link carefully touched his fingers to the cold metal that clamped around Twilight’s ankle. Again, if it were anyone else, he would be dead. But Twilight only let out a barely audible whine and looked away.

“I’m sorry…” Link muttered. _Don’t...do this to me, kid,_ Twilight begged silently. He closed his eyes and waited for the memories to pass. Link seemed to be suddenly rummaging in his pack for something. Maybe more food for comfort? Twilight hoped so.

It wasn’t food. His shocking blue eyes shot open in horror when he felt a tug at the chain on his leg. Looking down, Link had somehow procured a tool perfect for wedging in between the hinges of the shackle.

 _No…_ Twilight hissed in his head. He leapt up and snarled at the hero, who scrambled back from the gleaming white fangs that threatened to tear his flesh from his bones. Twilight’s hackles stood straight on end and his growl was a promise— not a threat— of retaliation if Link tried that stunt again. Twilight could take that chain off of him any time, but he didn’t dare. It was the last reminder he had of her…

“I’m sorry!” Link said again, pleading with his palms showing up. But he still had that tool in his hand, so Twilight kept snarling. Link caught on in a matter of seconds, tossing the tool to the side far from reach.

Immediately, Twilight’s growls subsided and his hackles lowered slowly.

He wanted to stay with the young hero, follow him to see where he went and what he did that made him worthy of his destiny.

But Link treaded on a sensitive subject, leaving Twilight agitated and anxious. Memories he’d been hiding away threatened to resurface and he wasn’t in the mood to be around anyone. He wanted to be alone.

The kid meant nothing by it. He was trying to help, Hylia bless him. But as with every incarnation of the Hero, there were subjects that weighed too heavy on the mind, trauma that never truly subsided.

Twilight decided that they would start over tomorrow when he’d calmed down.

“Wait,” Link begged quietly as Twilight turned around. “Don’t go! I’m sorry!” But he had to learn, Twilight determined. His intentions were good, but he can’t always attack something head-on and think he’ll fix it.

Twilight took his time trotting back to the campsite where his companions waited for him. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm palette of reds and pinks and oranges across the sky. It reminded Twilight of home.

He missed his friends and the people he’d become familiar with throughout his Hyrule. He had left them all saying he’d be back in a few days. Colin had been exceptionally crestfallen at the declaration, but wished him luck anyway. Ilia saw him off, asking him one more time to stay—a silent plead behind the words asking him to give her a chance—but he gently declined. He was convinced that his broken heart would never heal.

He missed Midna with every breath he took…

Twilight whined to himself and shook his mane of fur, hoping the gesture would rid him of his increasingly overwhelming memories. It didn’t work, as usual, so he decided to focus on the murmur of the river he was walking beside.

And of the soft clinking of the chain on his leg…

When he came to the bend in the river, he knew he was almost at the camp. He only needed to round the blind turn around the next hill before he saw it. Twilight could already see and smell the plume of smoke from the campfire as well as hear his companions’ voices.

“How’d it go, pup?” he heard from the side of the hill. He jumped with a start and looked up, seeing Time approach him from the hillside. Twilight remained in his current form, wondering how in the world he missed sensing Time so close to him. That man had too many tricks up his sleeves.

Twilight stopped and waited for Time to join him by the riverside. He sighed in response when Time was close, a whine behind his breath. Time gave him a sad look.

“Did you find him?” Time asked, sitting on a large piece of drift wood facing the swift river. The colors of the setting sun shimmered off the ripples in the clear water.

Twilight made an affirmative noise in the back of his throat as he stared mesmerized by the dancing light on the water.

“So what’s wrong, then?”

Twilight didn’t want to answer, simply lowering his head as the sun slipped behind distant mountains. He loved and hated this time of day, the land bathing in the brief moment of twilight…

When the wolf didn’t answer, Time shifted so that he was kneeling with one knee in front of him. He made a move like he wanted to pat Twilight on the head, but knowing his protégé and how he valued personal space, he hesitated.

Usually, Twilight would appreciate the consideration, but after having a taste of a comforting touch from the young hero earlier, Twilight found himself suddenly starved of the feeling.

So he made a soft groan and leaned his furry head against Time’s chest. Time didn’t know how to react to this new strange behavior coming from his protégé, but concluded that if Twilight was upset enough to actively seek out affection, he would gladly provide it. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he, too, missed curling up with Malon after a long day.

Time wrapped his arms around Twilight and buried his face in his fur. He didn’t know what happened to upset Twilight so much, but he could safely say that his younger counterpart was disturbed enough to turn in early from his mission, which was quite out of character for him.

“It’s okay, Pup,” he said quietly into the wolf’s fur. “You can start over tomorrow. It’s okay.”

Twilight relaxed at the words and Time’s warm breath ruffling his fur, so before he could think otherwise, he had shifted back to his human form. Time didn’t seem fazed at all, only wrapping his arms around him tighter. So Twilight returned the gesture, balling Time’s tunic in his fists.

He knew that his companions would be the only people he’d ever find that could comprehend the overwhelming pain of the burdens they all bore, but Twilight was beginning to recognize that only family had the capacity to truly understand.

~*~

The next day, Twilight felt much better despite having a number of nightmares. He and the rest of the group slowly moved camp, Time aiming to reach the nearest mountain by the end of the day. It wasn’t exceptionally far, but far enough where they’d need to move at a clipping pace. This of course elicited many groans from his friends.

The mountain was in the direction of where Twilight could smell the new hero, so halfway to through the day he broke off to go find the boy.

He set out again as a wolf once the party was out of sight, following Link’s scent through the grassland and forest. It didn’t take long to find him since all Twilight had to do when he got closer was listen for the explosions.

He came to a clearing that was nestled among some lazily sloping hills dotted with trees, the grass long and lush as it stretched out on one end leading to a vast open field with more mountains in the distance. Twilight could smell Link’s scent strongest here, so he scanned the clearing when he came over the hill. Soon he found scorch marks scarring the perfect scene and leading out toward the open field. His eyes landed on a giant machine with legs, whirring and beeping angrily as a small form darted around it.

 _Found him_ , Twilight huffed.

He watched the young hero roll out of the way of one of the machine’s legs and whipped out a shield. He stood fast, braced for some kind of attack that Twilight didn’t see was coming. The machine recovered and turned its vibrant blue eye on Link.

The eye suddenly turned red and a sort of laser, from what Twilight could understand, was aimed right on Link’s shield. It started beeping, the intervals growing shorter until it made one final sound. Suddenly a violent blast of energy rocketed directly toward the hero. Twilight tensed, ready to move or bark or do something to warn him of the danger, but in a second, the beam connected with Link’s shield and he knocked it away. The beam deflected back into the machine’s eye.

It shuttered and stumbled on its long clanking legs, but it still glowed with whatever life—magic?—pulsed within it. Link wasted no time, closing in on the creature and circling until he found a weak spot. He drew a sword and Twilight’s heart froze.

The Master Sword…

The hair on the back of his neck rose with a familiar noise chiming in the back of his mind. It was without doubt the same sword that Twilight had wielded in his own adventure. Sky had mentioned that there was only one Master Sword, and they should prioritize finding it if they wanted a chance defeating…whatever it was that brought them all together. Well, now they knew where it was. All they needed was to bring this hero into their fold. Watching this Link fight such a monster demonstrated his courage and abilities in battle. They needed a fighter like him.

It seemed like Link had the situation under control. That is, until a strange orange glow formed just beside the machine. A laugh echoed through the air and suddenly a nimble and wiry masked figure emerged from thin air, a bow drawn back with two arrows aimed at Link. Link had apparently seen the foe out of the corner of his eye, given how he let out a growl that was enough to impress the wolf spectator. The masked man loosed his arrows, but they bounced uselessly off of Link’s shield. The machine was still very much alive and it began to beep furiously again, aiming its red laser at Link.

Link didn’t have the time to deflect the blast, so he leapt out of the way at the last second, a crater sizzling and smoking where he had just been standing. Twilight blinked in surprise. He had guessed the energy blast was strong, but now he saw that it was deadly. If he wasn’t careful, it could easily kill him in a single shot, if not two. Twilight was beginning to get nervous, so he loped down the hill and quietly started making his way to the fight. His goal was to take out the masked man so Link could focus on the cursed machine.

The Goddess was guiding him in the moments that followed, he swore, because the machine was beeping again and Link seemed to start getting overwhelmed from the constant barrage of arrows. An arrow nicked his leg fairly deep and he let out a hiss and fell to his knee, fresh blood beginning to pour from the wound. The man had nocked two more arrows and was about to release them, all while the beeping from the machine grew louder and faster until it fired.

Twilight got there just in time. He shoved Link out of the lines of fire with all the momentum he had built up running. Link stumbled forward and the beam missed, causing chunks of dirt and soot to fly in all directions. It singed Twilight’s fur, but he was otherwise unscathed. He turned to the archer, but a second too late. He was met with two arrows flying right for him. He tried to dash out of the way, missing one arrow, but the other embedded itself into his hind leg. He let out a sharp cry and fell forward, skidding on the slick grass.

“What in Hylia’s name are you doing here?” Link shouted, standing and hefting the Master sword in his grip. “Just go! I’ve got this!”

 _Sure, kid,_ Twilight grumbled to himself. He was standing on three legs, one of his hind legs raised painfully off the ground.

The archer materialized close to Link, which was a mistake because now the hero was mad. In one decisive arc of the Master Sword, the archer fell to the ground with a loud cry, blood and some entrails gushing from his abdomen.

Link turned on his heel, his attention returning to the machine behind them. Twilight sighed and did as instructed, unfamiliar with this creature so he let the expert take care of it. Link deflected another blow back into the creature’s eye. It was almost dead now, sparks flying from in between the joints in its armor and its head piece twitching every so often. The hero was certainly in control again and could handle himself, Twilight concluded.

…Until Twilight’s ear pricked instinctively to the side, catching the sound of many heavy feet growing closer. He turned to see what new foe was approaching and his heart sank. Another multi-legged machine was marching quickly to where they were. Twilight barked a warning to Link. If things got dicey while fighting one of those things and an archer, he couldn’t imagine what would happen if he had to take on two machines.

The new machine tracked Link with a red laser, but Link was preoccupied with his current target. It didn’t seem that he heard Twilight’s warning, either. So Twilight fought back the pain shooting down his leg and ran closer to Link, barking again.

“What?” Link finally heard the barks and turned his head away from the first machine for a second to look at Twilight. His eyes grew wide when he saw the other machine. Link seemed to freeze for a moment, a look in his eye almost like panic…or fear.

It was a second too long of pause and the first machine fired at Link. He was blasted back, landing on his arm. Blood and soot covered his face when he started to lift himself up again. He winced and fell back to the ground, just barely catching himself on his good arm.

Twilight could only hear rapid beeping and he couldn’t stop himself from sprinting as fast as he could toward the young hero.

There was a high pitched beep followed by a loud blast. Twilight used all his strength to leap the final few feet that stretched between him and Link.

“NO!” Link shouted, but it was far too late. Twilight came in between the beam and the boy just in time.

Pain erupted from where the blast connected with his side, energy radiating outward and burning his fur and flesh. He landed with a limp _thud_. His world was nothing but searing pain and red fading to black. Everything hurt, but he tried to peer through it all to watch as the hero stood over him, a vicious looking bow drawn in his hands. Three arrows were poised and ready to fire, their heads glowing a blue and orange similar to the markings on the machine.

Twilight’s vision faded before he could watch Link loose the arrows, but he heard some more explosions and felt a heavy thud rumble the ground before his consciousness slipped away.

~*~

 _No, no, no, please no…_ Link stashed his Lynel bow and fell to his companion’s side. His leg and arm ached horribly, but he stubbornly ignored the pain. The wolf that had been following him for the past few days was now lying still on the ground, his breathing ragged. Giant burn wounds covered the animal’s entire right side. He needed to stop the bleeding and patch up the burns as fast as he could. Then there was the arrow still buried in the wolf’s flank. If he took it out now, it would bleed much more than it currently was.

He decided to leave the arrow in for now. He took out his Sheikah Slate and scrolled through his inventory.

“Damn,” he swore under his breath. He was low on…well, pretty much everything. That fight he had with those two Lynels the other day had him using up most of his healing items. He needed to restock desperately, which was what he had been doing before that Guardian showed up. If he wanted to fill up on items fast, he could only think of one place.

Satori Mountain was fairly close, but he would need to carry the wolf up the whole way while he himself was injured. He could technically do it but it would take a while—much longer than he was guessing the wolf had to live in his current condition.

Tapping his finger on the Sheikah Slate’s screen, he came to the map and found the shrine that would land him on the mountain. But he hadn’t tried teleporting more than one life form before. Would this even work? If it did, would it kill the wolf?

The wolf let out a breathy whine and his breathing increased painfully. It was too fast…not a good sign, Link thought.

He just had to do it. It _had_ to work. Link needed it to work.

So he wrapped an arm around the wolf’s neck carefully, supporting its head, then pressed a button. The familiar blue particles and tingling filled his senses. But it seemed…heavier this time. Like there was a lag. Before Link could think about it much more, his world was engulfed in blue and he was whisked away across the land.

He materialized at the Mogg Latan Shrine with far less grace than usual. The Slate dumped him and the wolf onto the smooth stone platform and Link felt sick to his stomach. No, this certainly wasn’t supposed to happen.

He pushed away from the wolf and threw himself over the side of the platform, his stomach emptying its contents on the grass below.

His head pounded and his arms trembled as he managed to stand. His left thigh still hurt badly, so he didn’t put much weight on it.

The wolf let out another whine and Link wondered if it was also nauseous but too weak to muster the strength to vomit. Link had to get him to the pond at the summit quick. It didn’t have healing properties for humans, but he wondered if it would work on an animal. The top of the mountain was a sacred place, connected deeply with nature. An injured creature might be able to garner blessings from the Lord of the Mountain.

With his mind set—and stomach turning—he wrapped his arms under the wolf’s front legs. His wounds screamed in protest at the effort and new weight, but he couldn’t afford to listen.

It was a struggle getting the wolf up the steep slope and through the rocky pass and it took quite a while. Link had to stop every few steps to gather his strength, despite the distance from the shrine to the pond being short. His vision started to black out from the pain shooting up his arm. He must have broken it when he landed on it earlier.

“Come on, Wolfie,” he grunted with one final push to get down the small incline that led to the pond. The sun was slowly sinking, casting golden light through the pink petals of the cherry tree that leaned over the water. Any other time, Link would stop to admire the scene, maybe taking out the Slate to take a picture. But now the wolf’s breathing had declined to a dangerous rate…

The wolf was dying.

“Not today,” he said mostly to himself. He refused to let this wolf die, especially if it had risked its life to save him.

He finally dragged the wolf to the water’s edge, immersing him enough that its head was still resting out of the water safely. Link waited for the healing to take effect.

He waited…and waited.

“Fuck…” he hissed. Why wasn’t it working?

He looked around him to see what he could work with. There were a few Hearty Truffles and radishes. He could make something that would be enough to get the wolf on his feet. Sure he could make it for himself, but he owed the wolf that much. It was also in a more serious condition than he was, so there really wasn’t much to decide.

Link went to work gathering the supplies and preparing a cooking pot.

~*~

Twilight jolted awake to the faint sound of early morning birds and…wet fur?

He dared to sit up, expecting pain to shoot through his body but surprisingly found only mild throbbing through his abdomen. When he stood, he discovered that there was still a sharpness in his hind leg, but he could live with it.

He looked around in confusion. There was a shallow pond and a large cherry tree like the ones in the fishing hole back home. The view, despite the dark beginnings of early morning, was spectacular. He could see for miles even before the sun had peaked above the horizon.

So he was on top of a mountain…somehow? There was no way Link could have dragged him this far, right?

He saw Link’s crumpled form leaning against the cherry tree. He was breathing hard and seemed to be out cold. His injuries were still in sore need of tending, the blood from his leg having been crusted over and Twilight assumed his arm was still broken.

His keen nose picked up a scent as the breeze shifted toward him. The thick aroma of truffle and carrot was mixed in with the smell of radish and beef broth, the medley of flavors wafting over from a small cooking pot over a haphazard and long-since extinguished fire. Judging from the similar taste Twilight found lingering in his mouth, Link must have made some sort of potion that healed his wounds. Did he not make enough for himself, Twilight wondered.

There may not have been enough for both of them, he concluded as he put his nose to the ground to search for the scent of more truffles or carrots. He found none, which worried him. If Link didn’t get that cut dressed properly, he could get very sick quickly. Twilight could turn back into his human form and wash out the wound, but he’d need a healer if Link wanted to get back on his feet.

Twilight stood helpless in front of his younger counterpart racking his brain about how to solve this problem. He could find more truffles, he mused. But it seemed that different plants had certain properties in this Hyrule that Twilight was unaware of. He wouldn’t have a clue what to put into the potion other than truffles and carrots to make it effective.

Suddenly, an odd feeling crept over him, causing his hackles to rise and a shiver to trickle down his spine. He was being watched. Baring his teeth with a growl, Twilight swung around to face whoever was approaching, but came nearly face to face with two pairs of red eyes blinking at him. A creature with the body of a horse and the head of what looked akin to a moth with four eyes stood in the pond beside the cherry tree. It glowed with a soft blue and gold, the patterns on its form swirling with mystical light.

Twilight lowered his head and relaxed his tense shoulders. He knew a spirit when he saw one.

 _Can you help my friend?_ Twilight ventured to ask of the spirit. The spirit’s four eyes moved slowly yet deliberately to rest on Link’s limp body. The four red eyes squinted a fraction in what seemed like a fond gaze, which seemed strange to Twilight. Perhaps the spirit knew Link?

Without a word, the spirit shook his great mane and disappeared—just as the sun began to rise over the distant horizon.

That was no help, Twilight grumbled to himself. He was about to turn back to Link when a familiar pink light caught his eye. In the place where the spirit stood was now a small fairy flitting over the water with its small wings, a trail of light sparkling behind it.

Twilight wasted no time turning back into his human form and walking slowly through the shallow water toward the fairy. He bent over and extended his hand which the fairy landed on happily.

~*~

Link dreamed of his Princess—his Zelda. She stood above him with her long golden hair tossing in the breeze behind her as it framed her soft face. He tried to look into her bright green eyes as she called his name, but he couldn’t seem to focus.

“Link, wake up,” she pleaded. He would be remiss to ignore his Princess’ orders, so he took a deep breath before trying once more to focus on her. He could almost see her. “Link…”

“Zelda,” he groaned. His head was pounding, but it was thankfully subsiding quickly. He blinked, expecting to see his beautiful Princess.

Instead he found sharp blue eyes looking back at him from a much more angular face with short sandy hair ruggedly pushed to the side. Link’s instincts kicked in and he pushed himself onto his feet. His head swam for a moment at this sudden action, but he refused to show any more weakness than he already had. The man in front of him stood as well, his palms facing out in a calming gesture.

“Who are you?” Link demanded.

“That’s kind of a long story,” the man answered carefully.

Link frowned, unconvinced. He quickly scanned the area for his wolf friend, but found no trace of him. “Where’s the wolf that was here?”

“…Also a long story.”

Link looked the man up and down, taking note of the pelt slung around his back, the fur unnervingly similar to Wolfie’s. He was taking in all the information through the thinning fog still hanging in his mind—no Wolfie, but this strange man was wearing a pelt…

Eyes widening in realization, he quickly wrapped his hand around the hilt of the Master Sword. “What did you do to him?” Link growled.

The man looked confused for a second, then panicked as he seemed to be trying to come up with an answer. “Would you believe me if I said I was the wolf?” he asked, leaning away from Link with caution.

Link drew the Master Sword without a word, the metal of the blade ringing clearly as it came free from its scabbard. “Do I look like an idiot?”

The man took another step back. “Not at all!”

“Then tell me the truth,” Link held the sword until it was level with the man’s face. “Or I’ll—”

As soon as he lifted the blade to the man’s face, the hand holding the Master Sword began to burn like the hilt had been resting in the heart of a furnace. With a cry he dropped it, the blade clattering away from his reach as he held his hand in pain. He glared at the sword. “What the hell…” he grumbled to himself.

“Have you not been listening?” The man asked casually as he slowly made his way toward the Master Sword. “She’s been trying to warn you about something this whole time.”

“What..?” Link breathed. Who was the “she” he talking about? What was he not listening to? As far as he knew, he and the man were the only people for miles. Most importantly, why did the Master Sword burn him? Before he could ask, he watching in a mixture of horror and disbelief as the man bent down and picked up the Master Sword with ease. Link suddenly forgot about the dying pain in his hand as it dropped dumbly to his side and his eyes widened.

A fond smile slowly spread across the man’s face as he switched his grip on the hilt to his left hand and hefted it skillfully. His gaze turned back to Link’s dumbfounded face with curiosity. “She refuses to be used against her own master. Could you really not hear her? Or…can you not hear her at all, I wonder?”

“That’s impossible,” Link managed. The man raised a quizzical eye brow. “That sword nearly killed me when I first tried to wield it…” The man simply let out a warm chuckle in response. But there was no way this was possible, Link thought to himself. The sword had leeched away his life until he was just barely able to hold on the first time he laid his hands around its hilt. He couldn’t imagine how quickly and painfully it would kill a simple Hylian who wasn’t chosen by the Goddess. “Who are you?”

The smirk across the man’s face only widened. “Well,” he hesitated and picked his words carefully. “This same blade once recognized me as its master, just as it has for you.”

“I don’t understand,” Link said helplessly, all thoughts of Wolfie forgotten. “It’s been thousands of years since anyone has wielded the Master Sword…before me.”

“What do you know of this sword?” the man asked.

“Only what the Princess has told me. It is wielded only by the Goddess’ chosen Hero.” He stopped to think, trying to remember the words Zelda had used once before. “‘Skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the embers of twilight’. That, and the Hero is supposed to be able to hear the spirit of the Sword.”

The man nodded sagely.

“But,” Link leaned back stubbornly against the cherry tree. “I can’t hear it…”

Another warm smile tugged at the man’s mouth. “She communicates differently with each Hero. For some, she speaks or even shows her true self. For others, only feelings.”

Link once again looked hard at the man before him. With the Master Sword in hand, he held himself differently than before. He looked like he and the sword were made for each other. Link couldn’t help but wonder if others thought the same when he himself held it.

“Who are you really?” Link asked once more, but this time with genuine curiosity.

“Would you honestly believe me? I’ve been telling the truth this whole time but you seem to doubt me anyway.” He gave Link a sideways glance.

“How do you expect me to believe a stranger when he tells me he’s a wolf?” Link frowned and put a hand on his hip.

The man pursed his lips and drew his brows together for a moment. “Fair point.” A second later, he closed the distance between him and Link and held out the sword for him to take. Link hesitated at the gesture, but eventually took up the Master Sword once more. “My name is Link, Hero of Twilight.”

As soon as Link heard this, he nearly dropped the sword. He was at a loss for words as he looked the man dead in the eye. Link could see the sincerity in his confident gaze. He wasn’t lying. “ _That’s impossible_ ,” Link said again.

The Hero of Twilight barked a short laugh. “Yeah, join the club. And if that’s hard to believe, you’re going to have an even harder time when I tell you there are seven other Links in your Hyrule. That being said, with so many Links, we use our titles as names. You can call me Twilight or Twi. Just _don’t_ call me Wolfie again.”

Link’s face flushed in embarrassment. “I thought you were unconscious by then!”

Twilight crossed his arms. “Nope. But fortunately for you I was in no state to maul you for calling me that.” He flashed Link a toothy grin, but it hardly seemed friendly. “Just don’t do it again.”

Link nodded frantically before trying to go back to processing the influx of information.

He suddenly felt light headed from either the confusion or having just recovered from the battle the previous day. Either way, all he could do now was sink feebly back to the ground, which made Twilight let out another laugh.

Twilight knelt beside Link and put a hand on his shoulder. “Look, I’m not very good at explaining this whole mess. If I’m being honest, Time does the best at it so-“

“Wait.” Link rushed to meet Twilight’s gaze as the gears in his head spun trying to understand the new information. “Time? Like…the Hero of Time?” He blinked in disbelief as Twilight nodded in reply. “Like… _The_ Hero of Time…” Few legends remained of the ancient heroes, but the one that has best survived the ages was that of the Hero of Time. Every child in Hyrule was put to sleep with the stories of the mighty Link and his daring feats battling Ganon not only as an adult but as a ten year old child. There wasn't a single kid who didn't look up to the hero.

“Yeah, I was pretty star struck when I realized that, too.” Twilight snickered, clearly amused with Link’s reaction.

A few moments passed before Twilight spoke again. “What’s your title, kid?” He jabbed Link with an elbow in a brotherly gesture.

“Hero of the Wild,” Link replied, causing Twilight to smile.

“Wild, huh? No wonder I liked you.”

Link returned the smile and leaned the back of his head against the tree. There were plenty of strange things he’s encountered throughout his journey. This had to take the cake (followed closely by Kilton), but he knew he could learn to live with it as he did with everything else.


	2. Hero's Shade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))))

Twilight was finally getting used to the strange notion of traveling with eight other versions of himself. They had spent their first couple weeks giving each other descriptions of their own adventures, expounding on some details while glossing over others. Most of them had the luxury of being able to hide their secrets, but Wild was not so lucky. He was reluctant to tell his tale, but Wind and Warriors kept prying about the massive scars across his face and neck. Twilight didn’t even want to think about how bad the scars on the rest of his body would be. Soon everyone was curious, even Time, so Wild told them all about his failures, his long sleep and his efforts to finally rid his Hyrule of Calamity Ganon.

Twilight had kept his account very brief, not wanting to tell anyone about his abilities to change into a wolf. He also left out the part about learning from The Hero’s Shade, still unsure what to make of the armor Time was wearing that reminded Twilight of his previous mentor.

He had recognized pieces of Time’s armor the instant he had first seen him but had stayed quiet about it. Hero’s Shade had given Twilight enough hints for him to conclude that he was Shade’s descendant. He spent the first week with the other Links mulling over the similarities in not only Time’s armor but his fighting style as well, having seen Time use a few of the moves Shade had taught Twilight. After a while, he could only assume that Time _was_ Hero’s Shade. Or at least…was going to become Hero’s Shade. The thought of breaking all of this to Time didn’t sit well with Twilight, so he kept it to himself—including not using his skills he’d gotten from Shade.

But now they were in a bind, having run into a group of rather hardy Lizalfos. There were five of them, but they were quick and hit hard. Wind had taken a pretty hard hit and Four wasn’t doing too well either, but in time they all managed to take all but one Lizalfos down. It should have been easy with it being outnumbered, but they were exhausted and injured to varying degrees so it proved more difficult than usual. They others hung back as Time, who seemed to have sustained less damage, insisted that he take the last one. Time was a seasoned and highly skilled fighter, but the Lizalfos was quick.

Despite having had its tail cut off by a well calculated blow from Sky, it was still going strong. It had jogged around Time, confusing him. Then in a flurry of swings with its saber, it disarmed Time, the force from that hit ricocheting from the blade down to Time’s hand. He cried out and held his arm, then was met with another swing of the Lizalfos blade. Time jerked back just in time to save himself from being beheaded, but wasn’t fast enough from taking a blow to the side of his face along his jaw. Time stumbled back, falling from the momentum of the hit and no doubt dazed.

Twilight started sprinting before he or anyone else could think as soon as he saw the Lizalfos raise his sword, aiming again at Time’s neck. Before it could come close to Time, Twilight came in between them, stopping the sword mid-swing with his shield. In the rush of the moment, Twilight knocked back the creature with his shield causing it to sway, stunned. He took this time to leap into the air, spinning over his enemy’s head. He struck a blow with his sword on his way down, then landed behind the dazed Lizalfos. With one final turn, he swiftly swung his blade in an arc, the head of the creature falling to the floor seconds later followed by its limp body.

Cheers came from his friends where they stood a ways off, but Twilight paid them no attention, worried only about Time. He offered his elder a hand, which he took, but Twilight didn’t miss the way Time stared at him with growing suspicion. Twilight forced a smile.

“You okay?” he asked.

Time hesitated, looking Twilight over like he had sprouted another head. “Yeah,” Time answered, still catching his breath. “Thanks for the save.”

Twilight nodded and made his way back to the group, hoping desperately that Time hadn’t noticed the flawless execution of the Helm Splitter he had just done. Well—mostly flawless. He was a bit rusty, if he was being honest.

It was a fool’s hope of course because Time had definitely noticed.

The next couple days of travel, Twilight could feel Time’s gaze boring into the back of his head. Twilight tried not to act any differently than he had previously around Time, but he couldn’t help but want to put some distance between them. This, of course, only made Time more suspicious.

It was Twilight’s turn to collect wood for the camp fire one evening, so he set off into the woods to gather as much as he could find. It was proving difficult since it had just rained not too long ago and most of the branches he found were damp.

He was rummaging around behind a bush, having spotted a nice log. It was thankfully dry, so he stepped out of the brush and added it to his infuriatingly small armful of wood. He began to continue onward but as he turned, he ran face first into a solid wall of metal. He leapt back only to find that the wall of metal was actually Time, his arms crossed and eye fixed accusingly on Twilight.

“Merciful Din, Time!” Twilight cried in surprised. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

Time didn’t seem to care about Twilight’s frazzled nerves as he continued to stare at him, unmoving. Twilight didn’t want to entertain the sneaking suspicion of what Time was here to talk about, so instead he picked up the wood he hadn’t realized he dropped with a grumble.

“Nice of you to offer your help,” Twilight said, turning his back to Time and continuing on his previous course. “Everything’s damp, so it’ll go faster with two of us looking for wood.”

“That move was meant for heavily armored foes,” Time finally said with an unnervingly level tone.

“What?” Twilight asked as he spun back around, acting as innocent as he could.

“But surely you knew that already,” Time continued.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Twilight flinched inwardly at Time’s narrowed eye. He wasn’t going to keep this up for much longer, he thought.

“The Helm Splitter,” Time barked impatiently. Twilight conceded upon hearing his tone, but only was able to let out a silent ‘Ah…’ before Time went on. “That’s an ancient technique, even for me. I’ve never met another living soul who knows it.” Time slowly walked toward Twilight until they were almost toe-to-toe. Arms still crossed, he leaned forward with every intention of intimidating Twilight. It was certainly working. “How did you learn it? Who taught you?”

Twilight stammered, trying to find the right words until he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out the only thing he could think of. “You did,” he said, wincing at Time’s brow furrowing deeper. He had to do something or he was convinced Time would hit him over the head. “Uh, well I mean…N-not _you_ but like…well, you see, uh…” Time’s expression didn’t change, unnerving Twilight even more. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before starting over. “All our worlds are so far apart—in time or dimension. There are obvious similarities that connect us all, but when I saw you,” Twilight shook his head slightly in thought. “There’s something deeper connecting our two worlds.”

“What makes you say that?” Time asked, his demeanor softening as he listened and became more curious.

“There’s this odd feeling deep inside me, starting from the moment we met.”

“You’re basing this on…a feeling.” Time raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

“Well not just on a feeling,” Twilight continued and raised his hands in a defensive posture. “I recognize your armor, the skills you have in battle, your eye…even your voice sometimes and the way you speak. It all reminds me of Shade…”

“Who’s Shade…?” Time blinked his one good eye, leaning back.

“Hero’s Shade. He was the spirit of a great hero from long ago—at least relative to my own time…” Twilight fidgeted with his gauntlet. “Not only did he instruct me, he was also my ancestor…” Twilight was highly uncomfortable with divulging details about his past, never knowing if people would accept him for it. The other Links were different, he had to admit. They’ve all had their own adventures filled with things no ordinary person would believe. If anyone were to understand where he was coming from, it would be his companions and counterparts. Twilight continued. “He taught me the Hidden Skills.”

The two stood in contemplative silence for a moment as Time put the pieces together just like Twilight had. Finally, Time looked the younger up and down with a sharp eye and leaned back.

“You think Hero’s Shade is my future…” he offered cautiously. Twilight answered with a sheepish nod. Time grunted, nodding as he thought some more. It was far-fetched, to say the least. Twilight was ready for Time to reject the idea—call him crazy—but no matter what, Twilight just couldn’t shake the notion. He _knew_ he was right.

Enough time had passed that Twilight was getting nervous, watching Time stare off in the distance trying to process the information. “I’m sorry,” he said. He was beginning to feel increasingly embarrassed for admitting his idea to his elder. Time snapped out of his thoughts and slid a curious look at his companion. “It’s crazy, I know. So just…forget I said anything.” He began walking back toward the camp with his measly armful of logs, dejected. He never knew any blood relatives in his life, having been raised by Rusl. Hero’s Shade—Time—was the closest he’s had to family. But even his own family didn’t seem to accept him. Why was he surprised?

Twilight returned to the camp alone, Time having stayed back apparently, and he was met with disappointed groans.

“That’s all you could find?” Legend cried, eyeing the small armful of wood that had been unceremoniously dumped next to the dying fire.

“Everything was soaking wet, these were the driest logs I could find,” Twilight grumbled. He was not in the mood for a ribbing from his friends.

“Where’s Time?” Wild asked as he arranged the new wood onto the fire.

Twilight huffed. “No clue.” And he wasn’t sure he cared. Why should he? Why did he think he could hope for once?

He had just started stalking away from the camp when Wind and Sky erupted with a cheerful “Eeey!” Twilight jumped at the sudden commotion and turned only to see Time emerging from the forest with a rather sizable load of wood. He shot Twilight the smallest ghost of a smile before unloading the wood onto the ground.

“Where’d you find all that?” Twilight sputtered. Time simply answered with a grin that read _I have my ways_ as he walked past him to grab something from his pack. “I looked everywhere…” Twilight added quietly, mostly to himself. Time returned to his side and put a firm hand on his shoulder, speaking very softly so only Twilight could hear.

“No descendant of mine is going to be defeated by some wet fire wood.” Time gave Twilight a knowing smile, patted him on the shoulder, then went back to the now roaring fire.


	3. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes get zooped to Wild's least favorite place :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but kinda fun to write! Love me the smell of trauma in the morning

Wild’s head reeled and spun and he struggled to sit up, his stomach threatening to upheave his lunch. A part of him stubbornly held back the nausea, only because he didn’t want to waste the delicious meal he had made for everyone earlier that day. He had his eyes shut tight, knowing that the world was still spinning for him as he finally supported himself on wobbly arms. The others seemed to be in different states of discomfort from their rather abrupt journey through time and space. All their voices seemed to echo, but upon further analysis it wasn’t because his hearing had been affected by how sick he felt. The air was cold and damp and the ground was hard beneath him.

“Another stinkin’ cave?” he heard Wind cry. A few other companions chimed in with grumbles and groans in agreement with Wind’s complaint.

Wild felt a sudden pressure on his back, comforting and warm. “And here I thought I was the one who got sick from these jumps.” It was Twilight. Wild could hear the cautious smile through his voice, trying to lighten the mood which had been heavy and full of despair and dread only moments ago. “Just take some breaths, there’s no rush.” Twilight patted Wild’s back. “…I think,” he added.

At this, Wild cracked open his eyes and turned his head to squint at Twilight, who looked behind him down what seemed to be a tunnel. A few seconds went by before Twilight was satisfied with what he found and turned back to Wild with a smile. “Doesn’t seem to be any monsters nearby so we can regroup and figure out where we are…”

Wild nodded and focused on taking a few more deep breaths to clear his head before attempting to stand, Twilight supporting one of his arms. Wild nodded thanks to Twilight and was about to say something when Warriors’ voice bounced off the cave walls behind him.

“What do you suppose this thing is…?” Warriors mused.

“Do you think it’s safe to drink?” Sky’s voice chimed in. Wild turned to see what this _thing_ was, only to have his heart stop cold in his chest and his shoulders stiffen. The cave they were in had one exit and was a rather spacious room, with a large basin in the center of it that had blue light glowing from its contents. Wild gulped down the anxiety that was quickly getting out of control.

His friends were all gathered around the basin, inspecting it at every angle. Time was the only one who stood off to the side, his arms crossed as he watched the others carefully. Wild wondered if Time recognized the patterns on the basin…

“Dare you to jump in it,” Legends smirked, elbowing Wind in the side. Wind barked a laugh and puffed out his chest.

“It’s just water, Legends! Don’t tell me you’re _scared_.” Wind prodded back. Legends didn’t respond, which fueled Wind’s pride. “Don’t mind if I do!” To Wild’s horror, Wind started climbing over the side of the basin with a defiant laugh, Hyrule reaching out a tentative hand as if to stop him and Time opening his mouth in protest.

But Wild beat them to it. “ _Don’t!_ ” he shouted, mirroring Hyrule by stepping forward and reaching a hand out like it would stop Wind. Everyone froze and fixed their confused gazes on their panicked companion. “Get away from that,” he warned and Wind slowly put his feet back on the ground, all previous gusto deflating. Wild looked at the basin, horrified, and all he could hear now was his blood pumping frantically in his ears. He barely registered Twilight behind him say his name. All he could do was stand petrified, sweat forming on his brow as his mind automatically rushed through memories he wished had been lost with the others. The room and his friends fell away from his perception…

_The pain had been excruciating, but soon he felt nothing. All he knew was that it was dark and he was scared, but that too was beginning to dim as his life leeched from him at a quickening pace._

_“Professor, hurry…” a low but nervous voice said to his right._

_Professor…? Link half-heartedly pawed through his mind until he heard a familiar voice ring out a short distance away._

_“I know, I know! Just…a few more seconds…”_

_Purah? She should be in Hateno right now. Are they in Hateno? Link got distracted by warm memories of fields and the sun and chickens and lazy summer afternoons spent in that town..._

_“We’re losing him,” the voice beside him said, more strained as panic seeped behind the words. No answer from the other end of the room, just hurried sounds of tinkering and incoherent mumbling. “Professor.” Link felt the faintest pressure on his neck, the man beside him checking his pulse. Still no answer. “Purah!” Tools were dropped and the light footsteps of a sheikah padded to his side in a second. His body jostled, but it felt to Link like it wasn’t his body, the sensation far removed from his perception. He was a spectator._

_“Stay with me, Link!” Purah cried. Her voice should have been sharp and unpleasant since she was next to him, but it was so quiet. Another faint jostle shook his limp body. “No! ...Link, come on!”_

_More cries from beside him erupted, but now it was just…oh so quiet. He couldn’t make out the words, just the frenzy as other voices called to him, then faded until there was nothing…_

“Wild!” Strong hands gripped Wild’s shoulders and shook him abruptly. Wild blinked to find Time in front of him, his face etched with concern as Twilight looked on beside him, worry more apparent on his features. The others gathered around behind Time and looked on as Wild regained his bearings.

“I…I’m okay,” he heard himself say, surprised that he was able to find words after being so shaken.

“You know where we are,” Time observed and Wild nodded once, daring to look back at the basin.

“The shrine of resurrection,” Wild breathed. “Where I…” He shuttered, unable to finish but confident his friends would catch on. Time closed his eye and nodded sympathetically, stepping back to give him space. 

“I swore I would never set foot in here again…and now…” Wild said, more to himself, and clenched his jaw. He knew it would have been hard if he came back here, faced with his defeat and unable to distract himself from the guilt when it stared him down so blatantly. His chest was tightening painfully as thoughts whirled in his head, out of control.

“So we’re in your Hyrule, then,” Four concluded, snapping Wild out of the daze he was about to enter into again.

“Yeah…” Wild answered with hardly a whisper. He had to get out of here before he got too overwhelmed. “Let’s just go,” he grumbled and stalked to the tunnel and out of the cave, the others following silently.

~*~

“Think he’ll be okay?” Time asked Twilight in a low voice as they peeled some apples they had found and brought back to their campsite. Twilight glanced over to where Wild was perched on a boulder a little ways off from the camp and let out a sigh.

“We’ve all got our demons,” Twilight said. “You know that better than anyone.” Time let out a huff. “He’ll get through it like he has no doubt done before, he’s tough.”

Time kept silent as they spent a few more minutes peeling apples. Twilight couldn’t help feeling attached to Wild, like he was responsible for him in a way. Their stories were not as different as one may think. They both had woken up to a completely different world then how they left it, the people they cared about gone and they blamed themselves for all of it. Twilight imagined that same blame and guilt was tearing through Wild right now. He had to do something.

Twilight peeled the final apple and made his way to Wild’s perch, sitting beside him silently. Wild stared out to the vast world below them with a dull look in his eyes. Twilight, being one of many Links, understood the value that silence had. Sure, it could be a prison at times when he wanted to actually speak, but also a comfort. He put a hand on Wild’s shoulder and simply stared out at the setting sun with him.

Long moments passed before Twilight spoke. “No one blames you, you know,” he said.

 _Doesn’t make it any less my fault,_ Wild signed with his hands and something in Twilight ached when he saw it. The fact that Wild had to sign meant that he was shaken enough that he couldn’t find words even if he wanted to. Twilight hadn’t ever learned to sign, choosing not to communicate much at all when he had gone on his own adventure, but Time and Wild had taught him plenty and he was a quick study. He could understand when they signed slowly and deliberately, but got completely lost trying to watch Time and Wild sign a conversation in what seemed like lightning speed.

Twilight sighed, to himself more than anything, because they’ve had this conversation before. He decided to take a different approach this time. “So what are you going to do about it, then?”

Wild finally looked at Twilight with a mild frown and Twilight worried that he had come off too harsh. But Wild’s expression turned thoughtful as he faced back to the setting sun. _I’ve already fixed my mistake…saved Hyrule. But the memories…_ Wild’s hands slowed to a stop.

“Still haunting,” Twilight finished for him. Wild nodded and drew his knees to his chest. Twilight thought for a moment, wanting to offer some solution to his friend. “Well,” he said softly. Wild watched him from the corner of his eye, curious. “Whenever I start to feel that way, I just try to remind myself that I can’t change what’s happened and all I can do is move forward.”

 _And try not to make the same mistakes,_ Wild concluded pensively. Twilight offered a small smile and they sat for another moment before Wild’s hands started moving again. _I let my friends down once,_ he signed with determination in his movements. _I won’t let that happen again, I promise._ He returned a tentative smile to Twilight, who squeezed his shoulder before they turned to watch the final moments of the sun set as it sunk behind distant mountains.

“What also cheers me up is doing something I enjoy that takes my mind off of the world,” Twilight offered as he stood. He knew Wild well enough to be certain that Wild immediately thought of cooking, this being confirmed as Wild stood and quickly glanced at the cooking pot that now sat over the fire. “Come on,” Twilight started walking back to camp. “You can start to make good on that promise by not letting the effort Time and I put into those apples go to waste.” Wild took up that challenge and fell in step with Twilight.

“Thanks, Twi…” Wild just barely breathed.


	4. Hero of the Wild Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta regroup with the boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Thank you all so much for reading what I have so far! I wasn't expecting such kindness! I would love suggestions on what to do next, so drop me a comment here or on tumblr at halway-through-insanity
> 
> I wanted to continue the story of meeting wild just a bit more because why not. I also forgot to mention that the previous fight with wild, the guardians, yiga and wolf link was based on something that happened while i was playing the game looking for ideas. one guardian? I got this. Oh a yiga, wolf link's got this. Oh shit he got shot oh god no. ANOTHER GUARDIAN WTF NO WAIT WOLF DONT GO TOWARDS IT aaand hes dead. 
> 
> Not long but here's some antics between the babies~

After much deliberation and staring at Wild’s map on his Slate, they came up with a relative location the other Links may be. Twilight had mentioned the others were headed to a mountain that was East of Satori—Mount Daphnes, Wild later confirmed given the landmarks Twilight described.

“Time said they’ll be camping there overnight,” Twilight noted as he rested his chin in his hand pensively, taking in the topography of the area on the map. “They may still be waiting for me to return, so that’s our best bet.”

“Right,” Wild nodded as he tapped the screen, bringing up the marker for the Kaam Ya’tak shrine. He usually would have teleported to the Central Tower, but he wasn’t in any condition to face dodging more Guardian beams despite having the fairy heal most of his wounds earlier. He also didn’t think his paraglider would be as effective with Twilight hanging on as well.

Wild’s finger hovered over the travel button on the screen as he remembered how nauseating their previous journey to a shrine went.

“Is there a problem?” Twilight asked when he noticed Wild’s hesitation.

“Y’know,” Wild said with a deep breath as he hooked the Slate back on his belt. “The mountain isn’t that far from here, we can just walk.”

Twilight narrowed his eyes at the younger hero, reading his face like a book. “That fairy may have healed your broken arm and stopped infection from spreading through your leg, but you are still in no condition to hike down an entire mountain, walk across a valley and hike up _another_ mountain. And honestly,” his voice softened to a more embarrassed tone. “I’m not doing so well either. We need Hyrule’s healing if we want to be fit for a hike.”

Wild looked his new friend over with concern. The stew he had made for Twilight earlier healed him a great deal, but if anyone knew how extensive a direct Guardian blast could be, it was Wild. His own scars ached just thinking about how Twilight must be feeling.

Letting out a resigned sigh, he took up the Slate once more in a laborious motion and selected the shrine. “Fine, but this thing doesn’t do well with multiple people. I’m still a bit lightheaded from our last jump, so just be warned.”

Twilight nodded with determination. With another sigh, Wild hooked his arm around Twilight’s. Once more his finger hovered over the ‘travel’ button, his hand trembling at the thought of the overwhelming nausea that would follow. A second passed. And another.

He really didn’t want to do this, Wild thought. He was beginning to panic with each second that passed. What if this time their molecules would get spliced together and a horrifying amalgamation of two heroes emerged from thin air? Wild imagined a ball of flesh with four twitching arms and a second head melting into the chest.

He blinked once as he battled with himself. That’s silly, he hissed in his head. Sheikah technology was smarter than that…right?

Was it?

Oh Great Goddess above, he was spiraling down every horrible possibility now.

He knew they weren’t in the best shape, so they had to do this. But he _really_ didn’t like this idea. He now imagined himself and Twilight tumbling from the shrine in front of all the other heroes—including the Hero of Time. He dreaded the idea of vomiting all over the hero he’d looked up to since he was a kid.

“Wild,” Twilight called in a stern voice beside him, bringing him out of his frantic thoughts.

“Yup,” Wild replied quickly, feigning confidence. “Doin’ it.”

But his finger still froze over the screen. _What if the Slate couldn’t distinguish anything anymore and their clothes fused to their bodies?_ His skin suddenly felt sticky…

“Wild.”

“Nooo worries.” Wild could feel a bead of sweat rolling down his face but his finger remained still, his eyes wide with panic as they remained glued to his unmoving finger. _He was too young to die! There was so much he wanted to do in life!_

Twilight sighed in exasperation and made to grab the Slate from Wild’s hand. In response, Wild pulled it out of Twilight’s reach in record speed, leaving Twilight blinking at him with a mix of annoyance and confusion.

“I totally got this under control, Twi.” Wild faked a laugh. He absolutely did not, in fact, have _anything_ under control.

“You clearly don’t, here—” Twilight reached again for the slate but faster this time. To Wild’s surprise, Twilight managed to grab the other end of the Slate, yanking hard against Wild’s grip.

“No, wait! Just let me—” Wild pulled back. When Twilight didn’t show signs of loosening his grip, Wild lifted his knee and wedged it between them.

“Damn it Wild! Just—” Twilight grunted as he wrestled with Wild and used his own foot to trip him. They topped to the ground in a heap of limbs.

Twilight’s elbow was in Wild’s face and Wild had Twilight in a death lock with his legs around Twilight’s middle. Twilight growled and pushed himself up to where Wild was holding the Slate up out of reach, having had success in ripping it from Twilight’s hand on their way to the hard ground. Twilight wrapped his hand around Wild’s arm and used his weight to pin it to the ground, the impact forcing the Slate to bounce from Wild’s fist. The Slate skidded across the stone just a few inches from their reach.

They froze and glanced at each other for a beat before frantically scrambling to untangle themselves, with little success. It was a race to see who could reach the thing first as they pushed and shoved their way toward the machine.

“Got it!” they both exclaimed as their hands clawed at the Slate.

“Just calm down!” Twilight grunted. His legs were still hooked with Wild’s against his will, the boy maintaining his iron grip in an effort to hold him back. 

“You’re gonna break it!” Wild cried. His hand fought with Twilight’s over the screen in a desperate attempt to block it.

Until Twilight’s palm bumped the screen and a familiar sound of affirmation rang from the Slate.

“Shi—”

Their tangled bodies disintegrated into a flurry of iridescent blue, dragging their essence across the vast land of Hyrule in the blink of an eye.

~*~

Time and the others were just finished with packing up their camp site and they now headed down the south side of the mountain. He was worried about Twilight who had yet to return from his mission to find the new hero. It had been a whole day but there was no sign of him or the hero.

They reached the bottom of the mountain when Wind stopped in front of the glowing structure they had passed the night before on their way up the mountain.

“This thing looks important,” Wind observed to his companions.

“You already said that,” Legend grumbled. He certainly wasn’t a morning person, Time noted.

“Yeah, but like maybe we should check it out!” Wind exclaimed, waving a hand at the structure. Having all been tired the night before, they had made note of the structure but plodded on, too exhausted to be bothered. But now they were well rested and could examine it more closely.

“There are dozens all over the land, we can stop to look at them later when we’ve made some progress,” Sky said in a gentler tone than Legend’s. He put a hand on Wind’s shoulder to guide him onward.

Wind sighed with a huff. “Fine.”

Sky was right. They needed to look for Twilight in case he was injured or lost. So they all turned to move on and were about to start walking when the structure began to glow brighter than it had been before. Time held out his arm in a general motion to stop the group and they watched the designs on the structure pulse until countless wisps of blue light descended from seemingly nowhere.

Four made a noise in awe at the dancing lights gathering on the platform before them. More and more wisps clumped together until they formed a solid shape…or shapes, rather.

With a solid _whump_ and a strained “ _Shit!”_ , two bodies were dumped onto the platform of the structure. After a second of distinguishing between the two forms, Time recognized Twilight as one of the people now struggling to hoist themselves up. Twilight shoved the other man away from him with effort and rolled on his side.

“Twi?” Warriors ventured. Twilight, still on his side and clutching his stomach, craned his neck at the voice.

“Oh,” Twilight groaned. “Hey guys…”

“What’s going on?” Time asked him.

“Twilight’s being an asshole,” the other man whined before Twilight could answer. He was on his back with one hand over his stomach and the other pointing accusingly at Twilight before it fell limp onto the stone.

“Hey, only I can call him that!” Legend snapped. Legend had an interesting way of showing attachment and affection, Time had figured out over the past couple weeks. Although crass, Legend was just being protective.

“And who are you?” Time stepped closer to the pair. Twilight had managed to sit up, but his face was pale and slick with sweat.

“He’s…urgh…” Twilight tried to sit up straight as he started to explain but cut himself off with his hand as it covered his mouth. A man of determination, though, Twilight lifted his hand a fraction and tried to answer his elder again. “He—” The second he opened his mouth, he lurched forward and threw up violently onto the black stone. Wind let out a sharp “Yuck!” as he and everyone else flinched away from their suffering friend.

Motion on the other side of the platform caught Time’s eye. In a decisive motion the other man turned on his side and pushed himself up to his feet, though his movements were labored. He looked a couple years younger than Twilight but had more scars than any of the Links combined. The off-colored flesh was plastered across the side of his face and down his neck. Time would bet a gold rupee that the scars were far more extensive below the sky blue tunic he wore. His golden hair was exceedingly long and pulled back lazily into a ponytail with two strands framing his face.

The fast action of standing so abruptly took its toll on the boy as Time noticed his face going white as a sheet, his eyes glazing over. His face suddenly screwed into a pained expression as he crumpled in on himself and held a hand over his mouth. His knees hit the platform and seconds later he vomited inches away from Time’s boots.

With a final shaking breath, he squinted up to Time and croaked “I’m Wild…” before collapsing to the ground.

They all stood in stunned silence before Legend scoffed at the scene. “Yeah, no kidding.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Them Star Trek transporter nightmare episode vibes tho


End file.
